The newest Goodyear blimp is longer, faster and actually a zeppelin

My friend Chris tipped me off on this Wired article and video about the next generation of Goodyear’s airship fleet:

…Wingfoot One, a new airship that Goodyear designed along with storied airship builder Luftschiffbau Zeppelin (yes, the same zeppelin of hydrogen-filled Hindenburg fame). Zeppelin’s hopes for a high-tech, dirigible-driven future largely went up in smoke with the Hindenburg. But today’s helium-filled design could propel us into a new age of flight, minus the airborne conflagrations.

Blimp pilots are kind of lonely, but they get a great view. I’m sure my mother, who worked for MetLife, appreciates that their blimp was featured too.

So, when does Tom Wolfe write about these brave airship pilots? He could call it The Light Stuff…

I’ve mentioned it before, but growing up in Vienna, we lived below the flight path of blimps headed to Dulles Airport. Mostly, it was the Goodyear blimp, Enterprise, but once or twice it was the McBlimp. My mom called Dulles to ask about it and a presskit came in the mail a few days later. We should have kept that one. Here’s how west Texas reacted to McBlimp back in 1985:

Also, my grandparents also lived outside of Lakehurst, N.J. a major hub of airships, even after the Hindenberg.

So, I’m a blimp guy or airship enthusiast I guess. Naturally, the stories linked above was a must-read and even blog about…for posterity.

Now can we please let commercial blimps fly around BeltwayLand again? Maybe in October…